System Events

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of System Events

    System Events in ServiceNow are special records that log specific system conditions and trigger corresponding actions. These events are generated by business rules that monitor changes and insert event records into the Event [sysevent] table, also known as the event log or queue. Events enable automation by responding to conditions such as record creation, updates, or comments.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Event Generation: Business rules use script logic to check conditions on records and add events to the queue using the GlideSystem eventQueue method.
    • Event Record Structure: Each event record contains fields like Name (unique event identifier), Parm1 and Parm2 (parameters with record-related data), Table (the affected table), and Instance (record Sys ID).
    • Event Processing: Scheduled jobs read from the event queue and invoke handlers that perform actions such as running scripts, sending notifications, triggering workflows, or starting inactivity monitors.
    • Custom Events: Besides the default system events, customers can create custom events tailored to specific record changes to meet unique business requirements.
    • Monitoring: The System Events and Jobs Dashboard allows customers to track event processing and scheduled job execution.
    • Upgrade Considerations: During platform upgrades, event processing can be controlled via system properties:
      • glide.eventprocessor.alleventsupgradesafe: When true, all events are processed during upgrade (default is false).
      • glide.eventprocessor.upgradesafeevents: When the above is false, this property lists specific events to process during upgrade.

    Practical Benefits

    Understanding and utilizing system events allows ServiceNow customers to automate responses to critical record changes, improve workflow efficiency, and maintain control over event processing especially during system upgrades. Custom events enable tailored automation aligned with specific business processes. Monitoring tools provide visibility into event and job execution health, ensuring reliable system operations.

    Events are special records that the system uses to log when certain conditions occur and to take some kind of action in response to the conditions.

    The system uses business rules to monitor for system conditions and to generate event records in the Event [sysevent] table, which is also known as the event log or event queue.

    Event-generating business rules typically use this script logic:

    If [some condition is true for the current record], then [add a specific event to the queue].

    For example, here are some of the conditions in the incident event business rule:
    • If a user adds a comment to an incident record, add an incident.commented event.
    • If a user adds an incident record, add an incident.inserted event.
    • If a user updates an incident record, add an incident.updated event.
    Event-generating business rules use the GlideSystem eventQueue method to insert event records, which typically contain this information:
    Table 1. Event fields
    Field Description
    Name Unique name of event. Baseline event names include the record affected and the triggering action, such as incident.commented.
    Parm1 Event-specific parameter the system uses to pass record information to other parts of the system, such as a record Sys ID or a field value.
    Parm2 Event-specific parameter the system uses to pass record information to other parts of the system, such as a record Sys ID or a field value.
    Table Table to which the event applies. This is the same table on which the business rule ran.
    Instance Sys ID of the record to which this event applies.
    Scheduled jobs periodically read the event queue and forward them to the appropriate handler for processing. The handler uses information from event records to take some kind of action such as:
    • Run a script action
    • Send a notification
    • Trigger a workflow activity
    • Trigger an inactivity monitor

    By default, the system provides events covering a broad view of application activity. If existing events do not meet your needs, you can create your own events to watch for specific changes to records.

    For developer training, see Scheduled Script Executions and Events Objectives on the ServiceNow® Developer Site.

    Use the System Events and Jobs Dashboard to monitor the system event processing system and the scheduled jobs processing system.

    Event processing during platform upgrade

    Determine which events are to be processed during a platform upgrade by configuring the following properties:

    • glide.event_processor.all_events_upgrade_safe: Set to true to process all events during platform upgrade. Default = false.
    • glide.event_processor.upgrade_safe_events: Configure a comma-separated list of event names to indicate that only specified events are processed. Default = <empty>.

      This property is relevant only when glide.event_processor.all_events_upgrade_safe = false.